Currently thought to be the site of the Hyksos capital Avaris, Tell
el-Dab'a was occupied from the Middle Kingdom through to the New
Kingdom and is one of a number of town-sites in the north-eastern area
of the Delta. The settlement site which covers an area of two square
kilometres has been undergoing excavations since 1966 and has proven
to be a very complex site with several occupation levels dating from
the First to the Second Intermediate Periods.
Our modern knowledge of the site began in the mid-1960s when Dr
Manfred Bietak of the Austrian Institute in Cairo began to excavate,
finding evidence of an extensive occupation by an intrusive
non-Egyptian population which led him to identify the cultural objects
he found as almost identical to Middle Bronze Age artefacts from
Syria-Palestine. This in turn led to the belief that Tell el-Dab'a was
the lost town-site of the Asiatic Hyksos peoples of Egyptian texts.
Excavations have been continued by the Institute of Egyptology at the
University of Vienna.
The Hyksos city was built over a Middle Kingdom town. Statues of Queen
Sobeknefru, the last ruler of Dynasty XII and a little-known King
Harnedjheriotef (Hetepibre) of Dynasty XIII have been found there.
During Dynasty XIII royal power became weakened as a result of very
short reigns and Asiatic foreigners began to filter into and settle
the eastern Delta area. Avaris became an important centre for trade
and imported objects found at Tell el-Dab'a underline the fact that
there was contact between Egypt and the Aegean countries as well as
Canaan at this time. Dr Bietak's excavations suggest that Avaris may
have been colonised by both Asiatic and Aegean people who were
allocated rectangular areas of land in a pattern influenced by the
earlier Middle Kingdom town and the deep and virtually untouched
stratigraphy has allowed archaeologists to observe the changing
patterns of settlement over several generations of the Bronze Age
community.
During the 1990s excavations by the Austrian team concentrated upon an
area on the western edge of the site, known as Ezbet Helmi where a
large palace-like structure dating to the Hyksos period was found. The
ancient gardens revealed many fragments of Minoan wall-paintings,
similar in style to those found in the palace at Knossos in Crete. It
has been suggested that these paintings with a distinctive red-painted
background may even pre-date those of Crete and Thera and possibly
have influenced some of the Dynasty XVIII tomb-paintings which appear
to include Minoan themes such as the 'flying gallop' motif of horses
and bulls. In the Dynasty XVIII strata of Ezbet Helmi, Dr Bietak
discovered many lumps of pumice-stone, suggested to have come from the
volcanic explosion on the island of Thera.
Archaeologists have also discerned several cemeteries belonging to the
Second Intermediate Period and during recent excavations at Tell el-Dab'a,
burials dating from late Dynasty XIII to the end of the Hyksos Period
have been uncovered. One of the more remarkable finds is a mudbrick
vaulted tomb to the west of the main temple enclosure, which
apparently belonged to a warrior. He was buried with his weapons, a
well-preserved copper sword (the earliest of its type found in Egypt)
and dagger, as well as other grave-goods and offerings. In the
entrance to the tomb the skeleton of his horse was found and next to
the north-eastern wall the body of a young girl - thought to have been
a servant, perhaps a sacrifice, who was interred at the time of her
master's burial. A number of other horse-burials have recently been
uncovered.
For many years the city of Avaris had been lost, lying buried beneath
the cultivated land of the eastern Delta. A famous commemorative
inscription by the Theban King Kamose (Wadjkheperre) at the end of
Dynasty XVII, gives an account of his campaign against the Hyksos King
Ipepi and the bringing down of the walls of Avaris. We now know that
Avaris was defended by a large buttressed wall, over 8m wide which
enclosed a massive fortified citadel with gardens and vineyards.
Kamose had threatened to drink the wine from Ipepi's vineyard and chop
down his trees in the taunting message on his inscription and
archaeologists have now confirmed that the citadel was indeed
abandoned at the end of the Hyksos Period.
The Hyksos fortress was abandoned but seems to have been subsequently
modified and rebuilt for re-occupation during early Dynasty XVIII.
Evidence of New Kingdom occupation of the site is also seen in
building activity by Horemheb and the Ramesside kings. The Delta
residence of Rameses II was at Pi-Rameses (now known to be a little to
the north at Qantir), but the settlement area eventually spread across
Tell el-Dab'a and a large temple probably dedicated to the god Seth
was built in the centre of the area.
Today there are few standing remains to be seen at Tell el-Dab'a. The
natural mound is partly surrounded by a large lake resulting from
flooding of the River Nile, but over the past two decades, systematic
excavation is slowly beginning to reveal many of the foundations of
ancient buildings - houses, palaces, tombs and temples of the towns
which once flourished in the area. |
